Support Member of Circuit Board

Abstract

A support member of a circuit board includes a columnar portion capable of reducing an outer shape by elastic deformation and capable of passing through an opening provided on the circuit board, and a plurality of projecting portions provided to protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the columnar portion, arranged at a prescribed interval in an axial direction of the columnar portion, and passing through the opening of the circuit board when the columnar portion is elastically deformed to reduce the outer shape. The circuit board is arranged between the projecting portions adjacent in the axial direction of the columnar portion in a state where the columnar portion passes through the opening of the circuit board, so that a plurality of the circuit boards are held at the prescribed interval along the axial direction of the columnar portion.

1 . A support member of a circuit board comprising:
 a columnar portion capable of reducing an outer shape by elastic deformation and capable of passing through an opening provided on the circuit board; and   a plurality of projecting portions provided to protrude from an outer circumferential surface of said columnar portion, arranged at a prescribed interval in an axial direction of said columnar portion, and passing through said opening of said circuit board when said columnar portion is elastically deformed to reduce said outer shape, whereby   said circuit board is arranged between said projecting portions adjacent in the axial direction of said columnar portion in a state where said columnar portion passes through said opening of said circuit board, so that a plurality of said circuit boards are held at said prescribed interval along the axial direction of said columnar portion.   
     
     
         2 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 1 , further comprising a slit portion for facilitating elastic deformation of said columnar portion, provided on said outer circumferential surface of said columnar portion along said axial direction. 
     
     
         3 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 2 , wherein
 said slit portion is formed to penetrate a prescribed region of said outer circumferential surface of said columnar portion along said axial direction, and   said columnar portion is deformed in a direction where a width of said slit portion corresponding to regions formed with said projecting portions is reduced, so that said projecting portions pass through said opening of said circuit board.   
     
     
         4 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of said projecting portions is so formed that an outer surface protruding from said columnar portion has a substantially circular shape in plan view, and   said columnar portion is enabled to pass through said opening provided on said circuit board by reducing outer diameters of said substantially circular outer surfaces of said projecting portions when said columnar portion is elastically deformed to reduce said outer shape.   
     
     
         5 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 2 , wherein
 said slit portion is formed to extend in a direction coincident with an axis line without inclining along said axial direction and to penetrate said outer circumferential surface.   
     
     
         6 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 2 , wherein
 said outer circumferential surface of said columnar portion is pressed on an inner circumferential surface of said opening of said circuit board with restoring force for returning said outer shape reduced in inserting said columnar portion into said opening of said circuit board to an original size by elastic deformation, so that said columnar portion holds said circuit board on a portion between said projecting portions of said columnar portion.   
     
     
         7 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 4 , wherein
 said projecting portions are circumferentially formed along said outer circumferential surface of said columnar portion.   
     
     
         8 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 7 , wherein
 each of said projecting portions has such an outer shape that a distance from a central line in the axial direction of said columnar portion to said outer surface of said projecting portion is increased along the axial direction of said columnar portion, and   said columnar portion is formed to be inserted into said opening of said circuit board in a state where said outer diameters of said projecting portions are elastically deformably reduced by fitting said circuit board on said columnar portion along a direction where the distance from the central line in the axial direction of said columnar portion to said outer surface of each of said projecting portions is increased when said columnar portion is inserted into said opening of said circuit board.   
     
     
         9 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 2 , wherein
 said columnar portion is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape,   further comprising a pin member suppressing deformation in a direction where an outer diameter of said columnar portion is reduced in a state where said columnar portion is inserted into said opening of said circuit board by inserting said pin member along an inner circumferential surface of a hollow portion of said columnar portion.   
     
     
         10 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 9 , wherein
 said columnar portion includes a first engaging portion formed on said inner circumferential surface of said hollow portion of said columnar portion,   said pin member includes a second engaging portion formed on an outer circumferential surface of a shaft portion extending in a longitudinal direction and engaging with said first engaging portion, and   said second engaging portion of said pin member is engaged with said first engaging portion of said columnar portion when said pin member is inserted along said inner circumferential surface of said columnar portion, so that said pin member is inhibited from falling off said columnar portion.   
     
     
         11 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said first engaging portion is formed on a portion of said inner circumferential surface corresponding to an end region along the axial direction of said columnar portion.   
     
     
         12 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said first engaging portion is formed by a recess portion where said inner circumferential surface of said columnar portion is concaved, and said second engaging portion is formed by a protruding portion where said shaft portion of said pin member protrudes toward said recess portion, and   said first engaging portion is formed on a portion of said inner circumferential surface at a position corresponding to a projecting portion arranged on an end region along the axial direction of said columnar portion among said plurality of projecting portions.   
     
     
         13 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 9 , wherein
 said pin member is so formed that a shaft portion is tapered toward a forward end side in a longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         14 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 13 , wherein
 said columnar portion is so formed that an inner diameter of said hollow portion is reduced along the axial direction of said columnar portion to correspond to the tapered shape of said pin member.   
     
     
         15 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a step portion is formed between said outer circumferential surface of a portion between said projecting portions, holding said circuit board, of said columnar portion and an outer surface of each of said projecting portions, and   a surface of said circuit board is in contact with said step portion in a state where said columnar portion is inserted into said opening of said circuit board, so that said circuit board is inhibited from falling off said columnar portion.   
     
     
         16 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 9 , wherein
 at least one of said first and second engaging portions is circumferentially formed.   
     
     
         17 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 8 , wherein
 each of said plurality of projecting portions has such an outer shape that the distance from the central line in the axial direction of said columnar portion to said outer surface of said projecting portion is increased along a direction where said circuit board is fitted on said columnar portion.   
     
     
         18 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 17 , wherein
 each of said projecting portions is so formed that the distance from the central line in the axial direction of said columnar portion to said outer surface is increased by protruding said outer surface from said outer circumferential surface of said columnar portion with a substantially constant inclined angle along said axial direction of said columnar portion.   
     
     
         19 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 8 , wherein
 said circuit board is slid on said columnar portion along a direction where said circuit board is fitted on said columnar portion when each of said projecting portions passes through said opening of said circuit board, so that each of said projecting portions passes through in an opposite direction to said direction where said projecting portion is fitted into said opening of said circuit board in a state where the outer diameters of said projecting portions are elastically deformably reduced.   
     
     
         20 . The support member of a circuit board according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said columnar portion is made of elastically deformable resin.